


This is the Greatest Show

by crown-of-the-circus-king (gay_jeans)



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Gen, Inspired by a prompt on Tumblr, Sort of an AU, dark (kind of), the greatest show, the greatest show au, villain/vigilate au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-17 17:38:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14194194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gay_jeans/pseuds/crown-of-the-circus-king
Summary: prokopetz on tumblr inspired this work by their post:"I’ve been listening to the OST from The Greatest Showman, and it’s suddenly struck me how well “The Greatest Show” would work as a villain song with only minor adjustments to the lyrics and presentation."So this is what came out of it.





	This is the Greatest Show

It’s bright outside. It’s crisp. It’s inspiring.

Phineas has never felt more disgusted.

The midday sun is blinding, and there’s hardly any shade hidden away from the sun. The chill biting at his skin is too early for this time of year. Cheerful, lighthearted ideas are dispersed among the city in the form of motivation to join a community service or donate a thousand dollars to charity. But inspiration doesn’t come in any of these forms; those thoughts don’t come to Phineas Taylor Barnum. They come in intrusive tidbits, ranging from gaining the gall to wonder about how he might break into a bank to take his money back for his family, or strategizing all the possibilities of how he could assassinate an oppressive and ill-intending public figure. Not that he ever acted on such thoughts.

These sorts of ideas had been plaguing his mind since he was only a boy, angry and bitter after being abandoned and alone after the death of his father. In truth, there was a certain power to this after years of honing his cunningness. The fact that he had the skill to do anything he wanted, had nothing holding him back but himself, was intoxicating. He was powerful. However, once he gained a family, it was easier to repress such feelings.

The restraint started to falter when the he lost his job. Again. So, fed up and lips snarling, he pushed himself off the ground and didn’t stop. With Charity’s eventual blessing and support, he formed a group of ragtag renegades like himself with the same feelings and desires. They were a faggot of twigs bundled together, impossible to break when united. These people he now called family devised dozens of ideas, plans, dreams, and began breaking at the brick of every wall of restraint.

Phineas thinks back to one idea in particular they thought up while he was out and about around town. The thought brings the barest hint of a smile to his otherwise stoic expression. He continues to scout the large and elaborate, stone building set on the corner of a street frequented by many people with big names and even bigger wallets. Good, good. He would love to have them all attend the black-tie “charity” event tonight.

Bile threatens to crawl up his throat at the mere _thought_ of the word. It taints the name of his beloved. Charity Barnum is honorable, respectable, humble, kind and loving. This fundraiser in particular is none of those things. The organization raises money to support the research of new medicines, which in itself is fine, but very little of the profits go towards finding remedies. The majority goes to the sponsors, greedy stuck-ups, but the funds that are raised are given to cruel experiments. They test faulty and poorly made on not only animals, but poor humans willing to do anything to get a few measly dollars to put food on the table for their family. Results are often disastrous.

With one more distasteful glance thrown at the scene, Phineas turns and heads back to his circus.

 

* * *

 

 

It’s dark outside. It’s cold. It’s inspiring.

Phineas has never felt more alive.

Inspiration comes in the form of adrenaline as he fastens the harness around his waist. The full moon shines down on the metal rooftop in a brilliant ray of light. Other than various streetlights around the block below them, it’s the only way he can make out the bodies of the circus troupe doing the same. Down below, in the power room tucked away in a back hall, Lettie and Charles wait patiently for the signal.

Once the straps of the harness are tightened properly, he hooks the knot of a thick cord into the carabiner and slings his bright, vibrant red jacket over his shoulders. It does little against the cold. But that’s not its purpose, anyways.

No one speaks, but the sly grins and sneaky glances speak it all. They’re excited.

With a flip of his hat, it’s placed snug on his head, and he twirls his cane to grab the attention of everyone else, who has also finished securing their harnesses. The wind whistles through the eerily silent air, but the faintest hint of an orchestra can be heard playing from the inside of the building.

They break the silence in unison.

_“Whoaa!”_

They stomp against the metal roofing in perfect synchrony.

_THUD…THUD THUD._

The lights pouring from the windows below are shut off instantly. Lettie and Charles timed it perfectly.

This continues for a few moments. The fear and tension spilling from the populated floors below are rewarding to no end. By now, they’ve realized they’re locked in and have no means to escape. Other than their shouts and stomps, everything is utterly silent.

Good.

As one, they allow their bodies to fall back over the ledge of the roof, carefully trajecting their angle so that they can crash through the windows surrounding the pitch black room. Shattered glass is sent flying everywhere; this and the surprise of the action provoke shrieks from their audience.

Even though no one's eyes have adjusted to the dark, it feels as if all eyes are on Phineas. He thuds his cane against the floor and strikes a dramatic pose.

_“Ladies and gents, this is the moment you’ve waited for.”_

_“Whoaa!” STOMP._

Things are starting to lighten up, and he’s able to make out an approximate body count. There’s probably a hundred people hunkered into a large group in the center of the room, seeking the presence of others as comfort.

_“Been searching through the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor.”_

_“Whoaa!” STOMP._

_“And buried in your bones, there’s an ache that you can’t ignore…”_ he pitches the end of his cane up, releasing and then catching it again.

_“Taking your breath. Stealing your mind. And all that was real is left behind.”_

The crowd can barely see him by now, and their wide eyes are set, transfixed, on him.

His tone takes a more sinister turn. With a flick of his hand, he swishes the tail of his jacket and tucks his cane under his arm. He begins to saunter around the group as the troupe, spread around the edges of the room, sends stomps vibrating throughout the walls.

_“Don’t fight it, it’s comin’ for you, runnin’ at you. It’s only this moment; don’t care what comes after. Your fever dream, can’t you see it getting closer? Just surrender ‘cause you feel the feeling taking over.”_

The circus begins chorusing through his next lines. It adds a thrilling and eerie element to the aura.

 _“It’s fire, it’s freedom, it’s flooding open!”_ Everything, all of his pent up rage and resentment is spilling out. The power he holds is indescribable.

_“It’s a preacher in a pulpit, and you’ll find devotion. There’s something breaking at the brick of every wall; it’s holding all that you know….”_

They all flock together. Phineas truly _feels_ the family around him, and knows there’s nothing holding them back, not even the sun. They are the runaways running the night. They’ll make the impossible come true. It’s everything he’s ever wanted. It’s everything he’ll ever need. And, finally, it was here, right in front of him.

_“So tell me, do you wanna go?”_

**Author's Note:**

> THE ENDING SUCKS I KNOW I'M SORRY


End file.
